hit cam to the last day/ that he deyde/ He was born
to churche and his exequye don and was buryed solempnly/
And the eyght daye the seruyse worshipfully accomplisshid/
They wente for to demande the keyes of the Religious
men that they had kept/ whiche were deliueryd to them/
And than they wente and opend the coffre where they
supposid the money had ben Inne/ And there they fonde
no thyng but a grete clubbe/ And on the the handlynge
was wreton/ J Iohn of canazath make this testament/
that he be slayn wyth this clubbe/ that leuyth his
own prouffit. And gyuyth hit to other/ as who
sayth hit is no wysedom for a man to gyue his good
to his children and kepe none for hym self/ And y’e
shall vnderstande that it is grete folye to dispende
and waste his good/ In hope for to recoure hit of
other/ be hit of sone or doughter or ryght nyghe kyn/
For aman ought to kepe in his hande in dispendynge
his owen goodes/ to fore he see that he dyspende other
mennys/ And he ought not to be holden for a good man/
That hath lityll renome and spendeth many thyngys/
And I trowe that suche persones wold gladly make noueltees
as for to noye and greue feignories and meue warres
and tencions agaynst them that habounde in rychesses
and goodes/ And also make extorcyons clamours & trybulacyons
ayenst theyr lordes to thende to waste the goodes of
the peple. lyke as they haue wasted theyris And suche
a wastour of goodes may neuer be good for the comyn
prouffit. And y’e shall vnderstande that
after these wastours of goodes we saye that the pleyars
of dyse and they that vse bordellis ben worst of alle
other For whan the hete of playnge at the dyse/ And
the couetyse of theyr stynkynge lecherye hath brought
hem to pouerte/ hit foloweth by force that they muste
ben theuys and robbeurs And also dronkenship. glotonye.
And alle maner of euyllis folowe them and myschief/
And they folowe gladly the companyes of knyghtes and
of noble men whan they goon vnto the warre or batayllis
And they coueyte not so moche the victorye as they
do the robberie And they do moche harme as they goo
And they brynge lityll gayn or wynnynge/ wherof hit
happend on a tyme that fsaynt bernard rode on an hors
aboute in the contrey And mette wyth an hasardour
or dyse-player/ whiche sayd to hym/ thou goddes man
wilte thou playe at dyse wyth me thyn hors ayenst my
sowle/ to whom saynt Bernard answerd/ yf thou wilt
oblige thy sowle to me ayenst my hors/ I wolle a lighte
doun & playe wyth the/ and yf thou haue mo poyntes
than I on thre dyse I promyse the thou shalt haue myn
hors/ And than he was glad/ and an[=o]n cafte. iii.
dyse/ And on eche dyse was a fyfe/ whiche made. xviii.
poynts And anone he toke the hors by the brydell/
as he that was fewr that he had wonne/ and said that
the hors was his And than saynt Bernard sayde abyde
my sone For ther ben mo poyntes on the dyse than.
xviii. And than he caste the dyse/ In suche wyse
that one of the. iii. dyse clefte a sonder in the myddes/
And on that one parte was fyfe and on that other an